Australia rejects Clive Palmer’s coal mining project to save the Reef

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Australia has, for the first time in history, turned down a proposal from a coal mining magnate, to protect the environment and to honour federal environment laws.

Federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek officially rejected Clive Palmer’s application to build a coalmine near Rockhampton in Central Queensland, stating unacceptable environmental risks.

Addressing the public on Twitter, Plibersek said that the project can cause irreversible damage to the Great Barrier Reef.  “I’ve decided that the adverse environmental impacts are simply too great,” she said, before adding that the open-cut coal mine is less than 10 kilometers away from the Great Barrier Reef, making the project a potential hazard not only to the reef but also to the freshwater creeks and groundwater in the area.

"These would throw the entire ecosystem out of balance."

The move to block the project was first thought of last year after Plibersek was just appointed as the minister for environment and water in the Anthony Albanese ministry. However, the thought was open to public consultation.

“Incredibly, about 9,000 submissions were made in just 10 business days,” said the minister before thanking the public for reaching out and helping her make the decision.

Despite coal being one of the top valuable exports, the minister’s decision to prioritise the environment over boosting export produce is being hailed across the world. Clive Palmer would have potentially extracted up to 10 million tonnes of coal annually for export purpose, had the project received the green signal.

Following the announcement by Plibersek, Dr Coral Rowston, from Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland, said, “This is a victory for the Reef, for tourism, for communities that depend on the Reef for their livelihoods, and for all those who cherish this natural wonder.”